Wednesday 1 March 2017

#154. STARSHIP TROOPERS By Robert A Heinlein

Published : 1959
Pages : 275
Overall Mark : 6/10

5,000 years in the future, humanity faces total extermination. Our one defence: highly-trained soldiers who scour the metal-strewn blackness of space to hunt down the terrifying enemy: an insect life-form known only as ‘Bugs’.

This is the story of trooper Johnny Rico, from his idealistic enlistment in the infantry of the future through his rigorous training to the command of his own platoon. And his destiny is a war that will span the galaxy.

ROBERT A. HEINLEIN (1907-1988)
Robert A. Heinlein was educated at the University of Missouri and the US Naval Academy, Annapolis. He served as a naval officer for five years but retired in 1934 due to ill health. He then studied physics at UCLA before beginning to publish SF with ‘Lifeline’ for Astounding Science Fiction in 1939. Among his many novels are The Door Into Summer, Double Star, Starship Troopers, Stranger In A Strange Land and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.

VERDICT
Definitely not what I was expecting, and far from being Heinlein at his best this is still an interesting book that acts in some ways as sci-fi propaganda while managing to remain a mostly enjoyable read. Fans of the movie will be surprised by how different this is, and those who loathed the much-maligned movie might be pleasantly surprised.